"There you are," a male voice startled Isadora sitting on a low branch of a beech tree. She turned and saw Lorcan, grandson of Elder Khotan, his gaze lecherous as usual. She can't remember the last time he pestered her. She was a young child when he was born, she remembered it quite well, but now she's powerless against him. Her only hope of getting out of this hell where she doesn't belong has been snatched away, and now she is once again helpless to the hormones of a child, all because she was born different.
"Go away..." she said in a low tired voice and turned away.
"I can't do that," he said then jumped right in front of her, jolting her. "How else am I suppose to bed you?"
His smile was repulsive, it made her skin crawl. He wouldn't dare say such to a normal druid, but been far from normal she was to be treated as they like, worse than an outsider without anyone even batting an eye. The only one who protects her was her grandmother until the king had agreed to marry her. Suddenly most of her tormentors ignored her, the elders protected her, but now the king is dead.
Lorcan seized her arm in a firm grasp and dragged her off the tree.
"Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!" she tried to fight back, but he was too strong for her.
"Stop your struggling," snarled Lorcan with a grimace, and cried out as Isadora bit into his hand. "Why you she devil," he shouted and with the back of his hand smacked her hard across the face, sending her sprawling into the mud.
Isadora was stunned, and sobbed as she lay bleeding on the ground.
"Thats more like it," sneered Lorcan, "now be still, because this is going to hurt, it is going to hurt a lot"
He knelt before her and pinned her down on the ground while unhitching his trousers.
"Please," whimpered Isadora, as he fumbled with her dress, "please stop, I will scream!"
"Try it and I will give you scars on your face that not even your Nana's herbs could cure" he threatened, his hand sprouting claws. "I have been anticipating this for so long. Now lift your dress before I hit you again"
"No!" she shouted and cringed as she saw anger rise on her attacker's face.
"Why, you--" shouted Lorcan and raised his fist to strike her again, but before he could swing the punch a stick smacked his head.
"You will be the end of us all you rascal!" his uncle dragged him by the hair off the trembling girl. "What do you think you are doing to the King's betrothed?"
"King?! The bastard is dead!"
Lorcan's irises turned gold, a sign that he was about to morph. Isadora pushed herself back until she rested against a tree.
"Try it and you will be taking out the village's waste alone for a month" he said, still holding him by hair. The boy's eyes instantly went back to normal, and the man turn to the frightened girl. "You can go home now"
Isadora didn't wait and started running as if trying to get as far as possible before he comes to his senses.
"Since when do you care!" the boy snapped, angry as he saw his prey run away.
"Dear boy, your temper will be the fall of you," he said releasing him. "I care not for the girl but for you, and maybe us all."
"He is dead! I overheard father tell ma,"
"The prophecy is still in the walls of the cave," his uncle said, "He is very much alive."
The boy was stunned but still angry. In the background of his nephew's angry grumblings he watch the young girl running away, wondering how to make her forget today's events. If the king finds out about it, it will spell trouble. More trouble than they could afford.
┌─────── ♕ ───────┐
The last spell was wasted on the body shield because of a mighty tree that smashed me into the water and I was rendered unconscious and thought myself a goner but somehow I awoke, crumpled upon a jagged rock in an underwater cave. I should be dead. It makes no sense that I was still alive.
I cast out a fire spell for torch and saw about half a dozen leaches on my body. Disgusted I slowly peeled one off, leaving a residue of its goo on my body. Seconds later the goo turned a sickly shade of crimson and blood began seeping out of my knife wound. I tried putting it back but it won't stick so I pressed my hand on it and slowly took out my battered coat. I was careful not to shake off the rest but it seemed it's not something that can be shaken off.
With the coat out I used a deconstructing spell and turn the coat to threads then cast the tentacle spell but instead of blades it had needles. I thread one and with a deep breath, I plunged the needle into my skin, feeling a sharp sting followed by a strange sensation as it began to stitch the wound together. The thought of going one after the other was too nerve wrecking so I went at it all at once. Time seemed to blur as I focused intently on the task at stitching, the rhythmic motion of the needles weaving through my flesh becoming almost hypnotic and in a few minutes I was all stitched up.
I let out a deep breath and relaxed. Saved by luck again? I don't even know how I got here. Felt too lucky and from experience too lucky has never been a good thing. There was always disaster lurking.
I stretched my feet down and the tip touched the ground. I tried another place to avoid it's been a stone but it seems the same which means the water is at most knee deep. The air seems fine which means the cave is probably very large. It's too dark to see anything but I feel a special kind of ease and comfort in the waters.
A loud grumbling from my stomach broke the stillness of the cave. Guess I have to start moving. I looked at where I obviously came through. It would be easier to trace my way back but I can't risk it. I don't know how long I was under but they could still be around and I can't face them again. Not yet.
I struggled to my feet, my legs wobbly. The water was indeed knee deep.
[Water arts activated]
Slowly the water under my feet lifted me up in the form of a small tidal wave. I cast a flame with one hand and with the other I willed the waters forward.
It was like surfing only I control the waves, like I was one with it. In the depths of the cave, the darkness was absolute. My magic flame was like a feeble beam of light that barely pierced the gloom, revealing nothing but the rough-hewn walls of rock that surrounded them. It might be hours, it might have been a whole day, I don't know but the cave seemed to stretch on forever, its depths unfathomable. Just when I was considering turning back I noticed the depth of the water was becoming less and less until they were like ankle deep and I could see the floor.
My tidal wave ended with a splash and I casually move forward on my feet, looking around. I could only see about 9 feet about me and few steps more, before me stood a towering abandoned entrance. Moss covered most of the walls, and inbetween the walls was an ancient weathered wooden gate that's almost as big and seems weak at its hinges and a single rusty chain strained to hold it ajar.
I stared at the gate and the darkness beyond for a few moments and I couldn't shake that feeling that I have found something I shouldn't have. Something that should remain untouched.